Integral Idols
On Ken Wilber's blog I found the following "call for papers", titled: You're Going to Be a Star: Post Your AQAL Essays on This Site. It starts:
"I have some really good news and a little bit of bad news. The really good news is that you might become famous, right here. If you've got any truly Integrally (i.e.,"AQAL-ly") informed article, essay, review of any sort, or any other communication that is truly AQAL-energized, I will post it on this website where thousands and thousands of people will see it. [What is AQAL? See "IOS Basic and the AQAL Map."] "
Sounds like the Integral Institute is now getting down to the level of American Idol (as the famous dutch TV program Idols is called in the US). You too can become famous! If you can't sing, doesn't matter. Here's a link where you can learn how to sing!
"It can be an essay on any topic, from psychology to economics to art to religion. It can be the review of a current (or past) movie, whether it's attempting to be integral or not; or of a CD, in terms of the actual lyrics or the states that are evoked. It can be a defense of my work, where somebody has criticized my work without fully understanding it, or where their view understood it well enough but can be easily responded to and outcontextualized by a truly AQAL response. It can be a critical essay on a past theorist or writer, showing how they can be AQALly transcended and included. And so forth."
No mention here of possible valid critiques of the AQAL model, it is just a one-way street here. We have the Truth on our side, critics are always wrong, they can and should be exposed. What about Derrida? Evolutionary theory? The states of consciousness debate?
"If you have a website, we will link to that and give it significantly increased traffic, and where, on your site, you might wish to engage in online responses and discussions of your piece, whether friendly or more like blog wars."
In the past decade, Wilber has never taken the trouble to link to Integral World, where over 200 hundred essays on integral matters have been written and the authors have engaged in sustained and well referenced debates. That's basically not Wilber's interest. He is just interested in promoting his ideas. We can leave that to Wilber - validating his ideas is an entirely different matter. That requires a critical distance, lacking in the integral scene.
The bad news mentioned by Wilber, by the way, is that, due to shortage of resources at Integral Institute, you shouldn't expect any feedback on your submissions, and just have to wait and see if it gets posted. But IF it gets posted, that's your road to immediate fame.
This really can only be done in America. Over in Europe, that cultural component is found to be tasteless.
Fame! - I'm gonna live forever!
"I have some really good news and a little bit of bad news. The really good news is that you might become famous, right here. If you've got any truly Integrally (i.e.,"AQAL-ly") informed article, essay, review of any sort, or any other communication that is truly AQAL-energized, I will post it on this website where thousands and thousands of people will see it. [What is AQAL? See "IOS Basic and the AQAL Map."] "
Sounds like the Integral Institute is now getting down to the level of American Idol (as the famous dutch TV program Idols is called in the US). You too can become famous! If you can't sing, doesn't matter. Here's a link where you can learn how to sing!
"It can be an essay on any topic, from psychology to economics to art to religion. It can be the review of a current (or past) movie, whether it's attempting to be integral or not; or of a CD, in terms of the actual lyrics or the states that are evoked. It can be a defense of my work, where somebody has criticized my work without fully understanding it, or where their view understood it well enough but can be easily responded to and outcontextualized by a truly AQAL response. It can be a critical essay on a past theorist or writer, showing how they can be AQALly transcended and included. And so forth."
No mention here of possible valid critiques of the AQAL model, it is just a one-way street here. We have the Truth on our side, critics are always wrong, they can and should be exposed. What about Derrida? Evolutionary theory? The states of consciousness debate?
"If you have a website, we will link to that and give it significantly increased traffic, and where, on your site, you might wish to engage in online responses and discussions of your piece, whether friendly or more like blog wars."
In the past decade, Wilber has never taken the trouble to link to Integral World, where over 200 hundred essays on integral matters have been written and the authors have engaged in sustained and well referenced debates. That's basically not Wilber's interest. He is just interested in promoting his ideas. We can leave that to Wilber - validating his ideas is an entirely different matter. That requires a critical distance, lacking in the integral scene.
The bad news mentioned by Wilber, by the way, is that, due to shortage of resources at Integral Institute, you shouldn't expect any feedback on your submissions, and just have to wait and see if it gets posted. But IF it gets posted, that's your road to immediate fame.
This really can only be done in America. Over in Europe, that cultural component is found to be tasteless.
Fame! - I'm gonna live forever!
posted by Frank Visser at 4:12 AM
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